The goal of this application is to establish a postdoctoral fellowship program in investigative dermatology and cutaneous biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to train promising M.D., M.D./Ph.D. and Ph.D.'s for investigative careers in academic dermatology. Funding is requested for two positions in the first year and a total of four positions in the following years. UAB is an institution with a distinguished record for providing a truly outstanding training environment in which cooperation among researchers from different disciplines is the model. Based in the Department of Dermatology, which has made significant progress in developing programs of excellence in dermatological research, the program will provide interdisciplinary training to talented individuals who are interested in becoming independent researchers in either basic or clinical/translational research in skin diseases. Qualified individuals who are accepted into the program will receive mentor based training in one of a variety of areas relevant to dermatology. The faculty that will serve as mentors all have successful independently-funded research programs in disciplines directly related to investigative dermatology and cutaneous biology and have impressive track records in interdisciplinary research and in the preparation of postdoctoral fellows for successful research-oriented academic careers. Each trainee will have both a primary and secondary mentor to oversee his/her training. In most instances, one of these will be within dermatology and the other outside of the Department, thereby allowing for inclusion of mentors conducting skin-related research in other departments. This will provide the trainee with exposure to new scientific skills while at the same time maintaining a link and ensuring that the training experience has relevance to dermatology. The UAB Skin Diseases Research Center will be a valuable resource for trainees, providing them with Core facilities to assist with their research and an active Enrichment program that will facilitate interactions with other investigators at this University. In addition to mentor based research projects, trainees will participate in didactic activities that will strengthen the intellectual foundation required for innovative dermatological projects and will also receive rigorous instruction in the principles necessary for ethical research. The ultimate goal of this program will be to provide superior training for the next generation of academic researchers in investigative dermatology.